Name: ___________________________

Context Clues – Circle the context clues in the sentences. Then choose the word or
words that give the meaning of the underlined word.
1. It has been an extremely brutal summer 6. Suzy was making jam. When she
with very hot temperatures. finished filling the jars and putting on
a. harsh the lids, she used paraffin to make sure
b. windy no air would enter the jar.
c. gentle a. juice from fruit
d. pleasant b. wax used for sealing
c. paper
2. She offered a feeble excuse for her late d. hot water
work and they could tell that she wasn’t
telling the truth. 7. The fifty pound pumpkin was
a. truthful gargantuan in size.
b. excellent a. small
c. weak b. huge
d. unhealthy c. average
d. colorful
3. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
a. type of plastic 8. The garrulous boy rambled on
b. mixture of metals continuously as he told his mother about
c. kind of sword his day at school.
d. kind of liquid a. talkative
b. secretive
4. The continents are slowly drifting apart. c. crazy
Since they are not stationary, North and d. quiet
South America will one day separate
entirely. 9. The pointer stopped, and quietly stared
a. paper to write letters ahead when he heard the sound of the
b. staying in one place rabbit.
c. land a. A teacher
d. melting slowly b. to have a point in discussion
c. a hunting dog
5. They kept the horses in the livery while d. to use a finger
they were being watered and fed.
a. House 10. The mummies of Egypt are very old. So
b. Stable people think the Egyptians had special
c. Dark opening ways of embalming. Actually, it was the
d. Hay filled bucket dry air that helped them preserve the
dead.
a. making pyramids
b. keeping the dead from decaying
c. keeping things alive
d. keeping things from smelling bad